The T-62 was developed from the earlier T-54/55 series of tanks. Produced from 1961 until the early 1970s, the T-62 was fitted with infra-red night vision equipment, turret ventilation equipment, nuclear biological and chemical protection and an ability to create instant smoke by injecting diesel into the exhaust. Armed with a 115mm U-5TS gun, the T-62 was first used operationally in the Middle East during the Arab-Israeli wars.